The Grand Four
by Ssj Metroid
Summary: Four ninjas appear during a great war. Ordered by the 6th Hokage, they and the most elite Konoha ninjas must track down Orochimaru and the Akatsuki...and take them down! OCxOC, NaruxHina, SasuxSaku
1. Enter the Grand Four!

"It's no good! We're done for!" This was shouted in four different spots surrounding Konohagakure Village. Two years ago, shortly after the 5 genins returned from their attempt to rescue Sasuke, the Village Hidden in the Sound declared full scale war on Konoha. Since then, there have been multiple attempts to lay siege to the village, in an attempt to starve the village. All of them failed, but this time, fate is looking bleak for Konoha.

On the east side, Nara Shikamaru and his battalion of ANBU Black Ops were being slaughtered. On the west side, Haruno Sakura was facing similar difficulties. In the south, Elite Jounin Hatake Kakashi was fending off the Sound ninjas, but the Sound were getting the upper hand. Finally, in the north, the Hokage and Hyuuga Hinata were bravely defending the village. An endless army of Sound ninjas continue to flood all four areas. The Hokage spoke into his communicator, "This is it guys. We're done for."

"Don't give up just yet. Even if we lose this battle, all is not lost," came the cool voice of Shikamaru.

"Hah….hah….don't be…too hard on…yourself…Shikamaru's right…We can still….fight on…as long as….we have survivors…" Kakashi slurred. His battle wasn't going too well. His arm was slashed with a kunai and he had a gash across his chest from a sword attack.

"It's not that…As Hokage, it's my duty to protect the village…and now…." His voice trailed off.

"Don't worry…We'll stand by you to the end," stated Sakura, yelling over the sound of the battle on her end.

"Thanks guys….Hokage out." He deactivated his communicator and refocused on the battle in front of him.

Ten minutes later, things took a turn for the worse. Kakashi fell in battle, gravely wounded. As medical ninjas took care of his wounds, his battalion was crushed without him. Kakashi forced himself up and mustered the last of his chakra. As he stood, something crimson struck the field, striking down all the Sound ninjas. It was over in a few seconds. All the Sound ninjas, including the reserves, were dead. The crimson thing dropped in front of Kakashi. "You…..Could it….be?" was all Kakashi could say before he collapsed.

On Sakura's side of the battlefield, things couldn't have been worse. As Sakura looked at her killer, sword poised to strike, she swore under her breath, surveying her remaining forces. Only twelve out of what was forty-nine remained standing. She shut her eyes, waiting for the final strike of her life. It never came. She opened her eyes to see giant sparks fly from the field. Power hundreds of times stronger than a Rasengan shook the battlefield. When the dust finally settled, Sakura's forces were standing, all of them looking at a figure standing before them. As Sakura discerned the figure, she gasped. "It….can't be…."

Shikamaru was standing in shock. In an instant, his enemies were slaughtered. A majority of them has giant gashes across their bodies. Several were cut in half. As Shikamaru's savior turned to face him, Shikamaru recognized the face. "You…."

The Hokage couldn't believe his luck. Just ten minutes ago, he was fighting like a monster. Now, he struggled to get up, using a tree as a support. He was clutching his stomach, which had a gash across it. He glanced at Hinata, who was facing a dozen Sound ninjas. She too, was suffering from many injuries, though none of which were serious. The Hokage cursed as he sensed a Sound ninja running at him from behind. He was in no state to defend himself…As he awaited the fatal blow, it never came. All he heard was yelling and screaming. He turned around to see something streaking across the battlefield, slicing all the Sound ninjas as it zipped around. When the figure landed, the Hokage smiled. "About time you got here….idiot…"

The four mysterious people gathered on top of the Leaf Academy. They had successfully delivered the wounded to the local hospital. The Hokage appeared in a puff of smoke, fully healed. "Thank you for the help…Justin, Brenna, James, and Chris….We are in your debt."

"Think nothing of it," said the tallest of the group. He had short black hair. He was slender and his hand rested on the hilt of a powerful-looking sword. He was dressed in a robe of green. Underneath he wore a shirt with multiple pockets, similar to the vests Konoha's Chuunin and Jounin wear. But most strange of his appearance was his right eye. It was completely red, much like the Sharingan. Surrounding the pupil, ever-circling it, were 6 dots. The eye looked much like an atom. This man was Justin Yu, leader of the small group.

"Yeah, we were just helping you guys out. If I hadn't shown up, you all would've been toast," said the shortest. Although short, one could tell he was not one to be messed with lightly. He was more muscular than the rest, wearing a tight-fitting black shirt underneath a red robe. On the left-hand side of his robes, was a small emblem that looked like a cross, most likely a family symbol. This short man was James Sadler, a world-renown master of Jutsus.

"Hey now. No need to take all the credit for yourself," retorted the man next to him. This one had short brown hair. He gave the air of one with great intelligence, yet with great power as well. He wore a vest like the ones Konoha's Chuunins and Jounins wear. He, too, wore a robe. His was one of blue. He was stockier than the rest, although he held himself with light feet. This man was Christopher Mizzi, the most intelligent shinobi known throughout the land.

"Come on now boys. We didn't come here to fight," said the final member of the small group. She was the one and only female of the group. Much like Justin, she was slender and tall, with one hand also resting on the hilt of a lethal-looking blade. She wore a shirt identical to Justin's, and she also wore a robe of green. Her left eye was also identical to Justin's, though it had only 5 dots. This lady was Brenna Priest, one of the most powerful kunoichi on the continent.

"Well, you have our thanks…The Grand Four," the Hokage said, bowing as he did so.

"There's no need to bow….Naruto."


	2. The Mission

Everybody was waiting in eager anticipation. Lord Hokage had summoned some of the most elite shinobi in the village to his office. When some of them asked why, he simply stated "It's an order." And, of course, being the good shinobis they are, they immediately shut up and followed their orders. Now, they all gathered in Naruto's rather small office…

"What do you think he wants us in here for?" Sakura asked Hinata. Over the years, they had developed a strong relationship. You could almost call them sisters.

"I-I don't know…but I have….a f-feeling that it isn't g-good…" Hinata answered in a quiet voice. Even past all these years, she still had a crush on Naruto. And Naruto, despite being the Hokage, still had no idea about it. Right now, having being summoned to his office, Hinata was feeling rather faint. That…and she doesn't do too well in groups larger than five people.

"Hmph….whatever he wants, it better be good…" Sakura quickly whipped around upon hearing that voice.

i It couldn't be… /i Sakura thought. Ah, but it was. Sasuke just walked into the office. Sasuke and Naruto met once again, a year into the war. Naruto soundly defeated Sasuke using the Kyuubi's power, leading Sasuke to realize that, as long as the Kyuubi lived within Naruto, he would have no chance of defeating Naruto. And so, he left Orochimaru and returned to being a Leaf ninja. Since then, Sasuke has been training, hoping to surpass his brother Itachi.

"Sasuke! I-it's you!" Hinata's greeting snapped Sakura out of her daze. Sakura still loved Sasuke, though Sasuke still refuses to go out on a date with her.

"Well, well…if it isn't Sasuke…" Naruto said as he entered the room.

"Hmph…this better be good Naruto…"

"What's your definition of "good"? Anyway, everybody here, come down to the Auditorium. We have some guests." At this, he turned and exited the room. Hinata glanced at Sakura before leaving. Sasuke, naturally, put his hands in his pockets and trudged behind her. Sakura soon followed. Once they were at the auditorium, Naruto looked over the small crowd. "Hey, where's everybody else?"

"They're all still at the hospital. I think Tsunade's patching them up," Sakura stated.

"Very well. Before I tell you our assignment, I'd like to introduce some people. I think you may know them very well…" At this, the Grand Four leaped down from balconies.

"Hey, I thought you said there'd be more people coming with us," Justin said, frowning slightly as he turned to face Naruto.

"Yeah, well, Sakura told me that Granny Tsunade's patching them up at the hospital."

"Guess that mean's we'll have to set it back a bit then…" Justin sighed. "Ah well. Sometimes things just don't go as planned…Everybody, we're the Grand Four."

"The Grand Four? THE Grand Four? The only four survivors of the Village Hidden in the Stars? Wow kid. Never thought you could get them! They're reputed to be even stronger then us, the Great 3 Nins!"

"Pah. You're late Jiraiya," Naruto yelled across the room. Congregated around the door were Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Shikamaru. "Well Granny Tsunade? Are they alive and well?"

"Yeah. Just finished. We're all here for the meeting now," Tsunade yelled back, as they walked down to the foot of the stage. "So then, let's hear about the Grand Four then…"

"Well, as Jiraiya said, we of the Grand Four are the only survivors of the Village Hidden in the Stars," Justin stated as everybody sat down.

"But where exactly is this village? I haven't even heard of it! And I'm supposed to be the smart one," Sakura asked.

"Our village….was on an island off the Mist Sound," Brenna answered. "It wasn't on any maps, since the island was fairly new and unremarkable."

"You guys say you're the sole survivors. So what happened to the village?" Shikamaru piped up.

"Our village was attacked by Sound ninjas. While our village is reputed to have extraordinary ninjas, there was such a large amount of them that we fell to exhaustion. Not only that, but the Akatsuki also attacked us," Chris stated.

"The Akatsuki? Why them?" Jiraiya asked. "The report we received here was that several thousand sound ninjas, including Orochimaru, attacked and destroyed your village."

"Because Justin holds the Seven-Tail Demon. Well, it doesn't really have seven tails. They just call it that because of the seven distinct sub-forms that it has. And it really isn't a demon either. It's more of a dragon," James said.

"James got it right. I hold the Seven-Tail Demon. It holds seven separate sub-forms, if you could call them that, each with a unique ability. When all seven fuse, all their abilities are increased ten-fold. I guess the Akatsuki really wants it to experiment combining jutsus," Justin said.

"So I guess that explains why you're so powerful…" Naruto said. He, too, was shocked by this announcement, but he recovered quickly. Thinking for a second, Naruto closed his eyes and called upon the Kyuubi.

i Hey! Kyuubi! /i 

b Sigh…what do you want kid? /b Kyuubi won't admit it, but he liked the kid. Seventeen years with the boy showed Kyuubi how much potential he had. He couldn't help but respect the kid.

i Have you ever heard of the Seven-Tail Demon? /i 

b You mean the Seven Shadow Dragons? 'Course I have. They're famous among us. /b 

i By us, I assume you demons? /i 

b Yes. He has the powers of all of nature's elements, and then some. He's one of the most powerful demons in the world, save for me of course. Why do you ask? /b 

i A boy called Justin Yu says he has the Seven-Tail Demon in him /i 

b So that's what I've been sensing…Well, don't worry about it. That kid has the power to control Syn, should he call upon his power. /b 

i If you say so….See you later then /i 

"Hey Naruto! When are you gonna tell us your assignment?" James asked. Justin smirked at this comment. James always was the impatient one.

"Right now. Here's out assignment. It's an S-ranked mission so I don't want anybody to take risks here. Also, I'll be going along too," Naruto said.

"About time…so what is it?" Sasuke asked, jerking out of a stupor.

Naruto paused for a moment, slightly annoyed at Sasuke's attitude. "We will track down Orochimaru and the Akatsuki…and take them down, no matter what the cost!"


	3. Preparation

The group dispersed from the Hokage's Building. Each was ordered to prepare for the long and dangerous trip ahead of them. They had three hours before it was time to go. Hinata and Neji went to the Hyuuga Complex, Sakura and Tsunade to Konoha Hospital, Sasuke to his house, Jiraiya and Naruto stayed at the Hokage's Building, Kakashi went to the memorial to talk to Obito and Rin, and Shikamaru returned home. The Grand Four were already packed and ready so they went sightseeing around the village.

Hinata and Neji were diligently packing, helped along by some family members. Hinata noticed that Neji was packing considerably light, given the fact that Naruto stated that this mission could take well over a year. Ever since the end of the Chuunin Exams so many years ago, Neji has changed. He always seems to be in a happier mood and laughs more often. He went to great lengths to make amends with Hinata and the Main Branch. Now, Neji felt more like a brother to Hinata than a cousin.

"N-Neji…are you sure y-you should be p-packing so light?"

"Don't worry about me Hinata. I always come prepared."

"Y-yes of course…but…"

"Listen Hinata. Over the years, I've come to respect the Main Branch. You especially Hinata. I know how you are. You always pack assuming we come to the worst case scenario. So I'll trust you when I run out of supplies." Hinata smiled at those words. Yes, it is true Neji seemed to respect the Main Branch members far more than before.

"Thank you Neji."

"Now, with that out of the way…You realize that you're spending over a year with Naruto?"

"W-w-what are y-y-you s-s-saying N-N-Neji?" Hinata said while flushing bright crimson.

"Well, it's about time you find yourself a husband right? You're going to be the heir in two years. This would be the perfect time to…ah…strengthen your relationship with Naruto," Neji smirked at the reaction his words caused in Hinata. Her face resembled the setting sun and she seemed more fidgety than ever.

"I-if y-y-you p-p-put it t-that w-way N-Neji…M-maybe y-you're r-right," Hinata answered. It was a wonder how one could discern the words, the way she was stuttering. Neji laughed silently to himself before continue his packing.

On the other end of the village, Naruto and Jiraiya were packing diligently. Jiraiya simply put some food and ninja tools in his bag, while Naruto proceeded to fit his entire room into his bag. "You haven't changed much, eh Naruto? I remember when we went out to find Tsunade…"

"Shut it, you old perv. I'm far better off now than I was that day."

"Speaking of changes, have you noticed a…change in a certain girl?"

"Who?"

"Your secret…lover I should say."

"What? What secret lover?"

"……I don't believe this…"

"What? Who's my secret lover?"

"HINATA YOU BRAINLESS DOPE! WHAT KIND OF HOKAGE ARE YOU, TO NOT EVEN KNOW WHO FOLLOWS YOU AROUND ALL DAY!" Jiraiya finally burst out. Naruto practically fell over, so loud was his voice.

"Hinata?" Naruto thought about it. Now that he truly thought on the matter, Hinata always seemed to be following him around. She would always turn up wherever he was. Not only that, but whenever he saw her, she would start blushing furiously and stutter. Naruto always attributed this to her shy nature, but she never stuttered that much when talking to somebody else nor did she blush.

b Finally figured it out then boy? /b 

i Ah! Damn Kyuubi….Were you listening to my thoughts? /i 

b Your thoughts are my thoughts now kid. Whatever you think, I hear. Although sometimes I really wish I didn't have to… /b 

i Yeah, well, past the dirtier thoughts…What do you think? /i 

b Hinata Hyuuga…Yes…I remember her grandfather fighting me sixteen years ago…She would make a fine mate for you. She's smart and has the potential to do great things. Not only that, but she's quite an eyeful, don't you say? /b 

i Now that I think about it…yeah…You're right. /i 

b When am I ever wrong? Use this mission wisely… /b 

Sasuke grabbed only the bare essentials. Clothes, equipment, medicine, food, and some extra materials. As he waited for the three hours to come up, he started to let his mind wander. Eventually, it landed on Sakura. Sasuke was growing rather fond of her. His goal after defeating Itachi is to build up the Uchiha Clan once more. And to do that, he would need a wife…He was considering several people right now, including Sakura. She always seems to help people. Not only that, but she was quite powerful, having trained under Tsunade. Yes…He would use this mission to build up his relationship with her…

"Hurry up Sakura. We don't have all day," Tsunade shouted into her room. Being one of Konoha's 3 Nins, Tsunade didn't need to pack as much as Sakura.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be out in a minute Tsunade," Sakura shouted back. In her room, she was sitting on her bed, things already packed, eyes closed. She was thinking about this mission. Over a year with Sasuke…the perfect time to get him to open up to her. This was her big chance. She opened her eyes and said, very quietly, "Sasuke…you will be mine."

"…and that's it," Kakashi finished telling what was happening to Obito and Rin. He was sitting, staring at the memorial. "Obito…Sasuke's turned into a fine Uchiha…If only you could see him now…And Rin…I promised you that I would become stronger than ever…And now look at me…Guys, I'll come back to you…Stronger than ever before…" With that, Kakashi lifted himself up and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Come on Shikamaru! Finish packing you lazy ass!" A loud voice came from outside his door.

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered under his breath as he lay on his bed, things half-packed. Sometimes, he wondered how he married Ino. Then again, he did love her very much. She was a great housewife and ninja. And she was well-known for her beauty.

"Shikamaru! Do I have to come in there?" Ino shouted again.

"I'm finishing up! Damn woman…" Shikamaru called through the door, though quietly saying that last two words. He sat up reluctantly and started to finish his packing.

In time, all thirteen of them arrived at the front gate, or what was left of it. The last attack badly damaged the gate and construction was working on repairs. Naruto glanced over his shoulder, taking role call. "Alright then. It's time to go."


	4. Day 1: Sound Ninja Ambush!

As the team continued down the path to the Sound Village, they talked. Mostly about their enemies, the Sound Ninjas and the Akatsuki, but there was one interesting conversation about the Grand Four and their powers…including the Seven-Tail Demon.

"Say…I've been wondering…Why are you guys called the Grand Four?" Sakura asked while they were walking.

"There are several reasons why. One of them is that we are the only known survivors of the Hidden Star Village," Justin answered from the front.

"However, there are also other reasons as well. One of them is because we stick together like white on rice. No matter what the situation, we're always there to support each other," James said.

"Yes. Also, we were in the same squad. Justin became Jounin when he was 11. We were a lot weaker than him back then, so we were only Genin. And, as luck has it, the three of us were assigned to Justin's squad," Chris added from the rear.

"Finally, we are probably the strongest shinobis in the area. We definitely are stronger than Konoha's Sanin, the legendary three nins, and we've never failed a mission yet," Brenna concluded.

"Yes…you guys are very powerful…but how?" Neji said from the front of the group.

"Eh? What do you mean by that Neji?" Justin asked quizzically.

"I mean that, Kakashi and Sasuke have the Sharingan. Hinata and I have the Byakugan. Tsunade and Jiraiya are both one of the Sanin. Naruto controls the Kyuubi. Shikamaru is the smartest shinobi in Konoha. Sakura is the best medical ninja in Konoha. I guess I should have worded it differently. What powers do you all have?"

"Ah…Well, I was the smartest ninja of the Hidden Star Village. I've invented about 50 new jutsus and mastered over…erm…say a thousand? I guess that's a good ballpark figure…" Chris answered.

"I'm a master of Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. I've mastered just about every kind of Taijutsu there is…except the Gentle Fist Style. I lack the Byakugan so that's understandable. I also mastered over a thousand jutsus as well and can combine certain ones together, such as the Rasengan and Chidori," James proudly stated.

"I'm the only person known to have mastered Valgera, a type of Taijutsu similar to the Gentle Fist Style. With it, I can manipulate my opponent's flow of Chakra using the Tenketsu. It isn't as refined as the Gentle Fist Style, but it's efficient. I'm also one of the only two people with the Douninshi Eye. Similar to the Sharingan and Byakugan, it's sort of a combination of the two. I can copy any Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu. The Douninshi Eye is also the only thing known to be able to counter the effects of other Doujutsus. It can't counter all Doujutsus though. Finally, similar to the Byakugan, it allows for nearly 360 degree eyesight. However, while it can detect the Tenketsu, it is unable to show me the entire Chakra network. Oh, and I own Alondite. It's a powerful magical sword, rumored to have been made by the gods," Brenna finally concluded.

"Well…like Brenna, I also hold the Douninshi Eye. However, since I've mastered it more, I can see the Chakra network. I also own Ragnell, an extremely powerful magic sword, said to be crafted by the gods. Also, you guys also know that I, too, am a jinchuuriki. I hold Shichi, the Seven-Tail Demon," Justin spoke.

"Yes…the Shichi…what powers does it hold?" Naruto asked. "You said before it's one of the strongest out of the Tailed Demons…"

"The Shichi…is actually seven different demons, though they appear like dragons. Each one controls a different element. First, the leader and strongest of them, is Syn. He basically controls the other demons. Then, there's Haze. He controls pollution and poisons. Next, there's Eis. He is the Demon of Ice. His brother is Nuova, who controls the opposite element, fire. After him, we have Rage. He is master of electricity. Then, there is Oceanus. She controls two elements: water and wind. Finally, there's Naturus. He controls the earth. One more thing. They can combine together to from Omega. However, they can only fuse for a short period of time. This also uses an insane amount of chakra. Afterwards, I can't move for ten days, maybe more, depending on the situation," Justin finally concluded.

"Wow…that's…incredible. To think that the Shichi is actually that powerful…" Naruto said in surprise.

"Yes, it is..." Justin said absentmindedly, glancing at Brenna for a moment.

"Yes well…Hold!" Neji suddenly cried out. And just in time, for as the group stopped and looked about, thousands upon thousands of kunais, shurikens, and other deadly and sharp objects fell upon them.

"Damn…I was so busy talking, I didn't notice the traps. It seems like the Sound was informed about our mission…" Neji muttered.

"Not to worry…" Justin said as he made some hand signs, ending in tiger. "Hah! Kansei Seishou Tate (Complete Energy Shield)!" Instantly, a beam of chakra burst from his fingers. It rose, and then fell, covering the group within a shield. The weapons harmlessly bounced off the shield. "Neji! Hinata! Tell the others where the Sound are located! I can only hold this shield for so long!"

"Right! There's a group of fifty about 300 meters south from here," Neji quickly said.

"There's also a group of…sixty about 400 meters north. And another one 200 meters east!" Hinata said.

"Right! Listen up! Once Justin releases the shield, Hinata, Jiraiya, Shikamaru, and I will fight the group to the east. The Grand Four will fight the ones to the north! The rest of you, fight the ones south from here!" Naruto quickly said, in case Justin released the jutsu.

"Right! I'm releasing the jutsu!" Justin said. "Ready…set….go!" He separated his hands and leaped after his group.

As Naruto leaped toward the group, Jiraiya yelled at him. "Hey! What's your plan?"

"They probably know we're here! Otherwise, they wouldn't have set up the traps! Our only choice now is to hit 'em straight on!"

"Looks like you gave it a lot of thought!"

Naruto glanced at Hinata, who was looking a little pale. "Alright Hinata?"

"Y-yes… let's do this!"

The group leaped into a clearing, where, as Neji had predicted, sixty Sound ninjas were assembled. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu)!" Naruto yelled. Instantly, twenty Naruto appeared. They all drew kunais and leapt into the crowd. Hinata was fighting ten by herself, but was having no trouble fending them off. Shikamaru five trapped in his Shadow Possession Jutsu and were having them fight each other. He had perfected the jutsu, allowing him to control others without getting hurt. Jiraiya had summoned up his Demolisher Toad and was now proceeding to smash about twenty ninjas at once. Naruto and his clones were smashing the rest.

"Pah…" Neji said as he spun in a circle. He was fighting ten ninjas at once, fending them off with ease. Kakashi and Sasuke were fighting side-by-side, sending any ninja foolish enough to attack them into trees or rocks. Meanwhile, Tsunade and Sakura were standing nearby, smashing any idiot coming their way. It was all basically jaw-smashing, bone-breaking, hand-to-hand combat. Neji smirked as he sent more ninjas flying away.

Meanwhile, The Grand Four had already finished their battle and were waiting patiently for the rest to return. Bodies were strewn everywhere, some ripped to shreds, others cut clean in half. Justin was still scouting, in case there were more waiting. He had already encountered ten more and was about to head back when he saw some more. He sighed and quickly started making hand signs. Tiger, ox, rabbit, monkey, horse, tiger… "Kasai Ken no Jutsu (Fire Blade Jutsu)!" Fire quickly sprouted in his outstretched hand. It looked like Chidori, only it was fire instead of electricity. Justin looked up to see his foes dashing toward him. Some sent kunais at him. He quickly reacted by releasing chakra from all over his body. "Kyousei Reiki (Great Aura)!" Instantly, his chakra burst from his body, sending the weapons flying backwards. He then stopped the flow of chakra and then sprinted to his foes and thrust his hand toward them. They were instantly sliced in half, clothes burning with fire. Justin relaxed and suddenly ducked as more kunai flew at him from behind. He quickly turned to see more attackers. He tensed when he heard a familiar voice…

"Meimei Ranpu Tama (Divine Light Bullets)!" In an instant, Justin's attackers were struck with yellow balls of light. He looked up to see Brenna standing above him on a branch. "Thought you'd need some help," she said with a smile as she dropped next to him.

"Hmph. I was doing alright by myself you know," Justin said, pretending to be annoyed, though he knew Brenna probably saw right through him. There was something about her that made his heart flutter a little bit.

"Yeah right…stop pretending you're all annoyed…"

"Pah…I could never lie to you…"

"True…Now come on. The others are…" She was stopped as Justin leapt at her, knocking her out of harm's way as several senbon struck a tree trunk where she was leaning against. "Hey! What was that for?" she asked angrily, though she blushed slightly at the fact he was this close to her. She couldn't explain it, but there was something about him that made her heart skip a beat…

"If you haven't noticed, we got company," Justin said, standing up to hide his slightly red face. He, too, had unknown feelings toward her. He pointed to a break between the trees and Brenna saw that there were three more Sound ninjas. "Shall I?" he asked her, offering her a hand.

"Nah…I didn't get to fight much…" she said, taking his hand and pulling herself up. She made some hand seals. Dragon, snake, monkey, boar, tiger, rooster, rat, dragon… "Naibuteki Doragon Kasai (Internal Dragon Flame)!" She opened her mouth and shot out a flame shaped like a dragon at the three ninjas. They were immediately engulfed in flames. She then turned to Justin and said, quite calmly, "The others are waiting for us," before leaping to a branch. "You coming?"

Justin smirked before appearing next to her in a puff of smoke. "Yeah, yeah…let's go."


End file.
